Alice and Bob want a home multimedia network (“media network”) that can deliver outstanding video and sound performance, or at least can take advantage of the many TVs, DVD players, and stereo components that they have collected in the many rooms of their home. In their hoped-for network, a central multimedia server “hub” would be located downstairs in the den and networked to send programs to each room as requested by the room's occupant via a remote control. But their budget for achieving this media network project is limited. They have already spent much time and money on the individual TV, video, and stereo components to be integrated into their future home network. Further, they have already spent a great deal of money in many of the rooms providing conventional set-top boxes that receive streaming video modulated on coaxial cable rather than over an Internet protocol (IP)-based local area network (LAN). Some of their set-top boxes have a telephone modem, but the newer ones have a serial port. However, these seem of little use for creating a state-of-the art home media network.
With respect to Alice and Bob's past and present subscriptions to cable and satellite TV providers, each provider has required a separate set-top box for each TV in each room. Alice and Bob have amassed a number of these set-top devices: some they own and some they rent within a present subscription to their cable television and Internet provider company. Bob wants to discard all the set-top boxes and invest heavily in a media network kit now available in computer stores that provides its own proprietary “nodes” in place of their set-top boxes. Alice, however, does not want to discard their hard-earned set-top boxes and spend extravagantly on many new nodes to replace each of their many set-top boxes.